Niamey, 3 June 2016 (ECA-SRO-WA) - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will organise from 9 to 10 June 2016 at the Hotel IVOTEL ANNEX INDENIE-PLATEAU in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) a meeting for its focal points from seven (7) West African countries, whose country-profiles will be drafted during the biennium 2016-2017. This concerns: Benin, Burkina, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Togo. The meeting will involve the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Economic and Statistical Observatory (AFRISTAT) and the Mano River Union.
The holding of this meeting, which will bring together 18 Focal Points, is basically explained by the need for the ECA to possess regular and quality statistical data to understand the economic situation of West African countries and for relevant decision-making in order to undertake and expand the structural transformation of the economies of these countries. To implement this commitment, the ECA has decided for the coming years, to organise its statistical activities around the regular production of economic and social reports per country, known as "Country-Profiles".
Thus, the production of country-profiles and the effective carrying out of inherent statistical activities requires the ECA to establish close collaboration with national and regional institutions involved in the production, collection and analysis of statistics. This particularly concerns institutes of statistics, structures in charge of the economy and planning, and intergovernmental organisations.
While strengthening collaboration links between the ECA and statistical Focal Points per country, this meeting aims to comprehend, at the national and sub-regional levels, the organisation of the statistical system with regard to its production and dissemination. It also constitutes an opportunity to inform each of the Focal Points about the product of the ECA called "Country-Profile" and all the statistical information required for its production, gather statistical data collected by these Focal Points with a view to produce the first generation of "Country-Profiles", identify constraints faced by institutions in the elaboration and/or transmission of data, as well as technical assistance needs.
At the end of this meeting, relevant recommendations will be formulated. These will undoubtedly help to definitely establish with each Focal Point, a specific mechanism for collaboration and regular transmission of quality statistical information and identify capacity-building areas with regard to statistics.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org